The Ohio Family Stability Commission will be a part of the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services. It will seek to remedy problems caused by family instability such as the rate of poverty, academic failure, poor health status, crime, and incarceration that has long plagued urban centers across Ohio. The Ohio Family Stability Commission will also focus on the strengthening of Ohio families and emphasizing the well-being of children.

“The commission will be focused and time limited to address the critical needs of our families,” stated Senator Tavares. “We cannot afford to wait while our children suffer and our families break down.

The primary goals of the commission will be to address the negative impacts attributed to single parent households such out-of-wedlock births, divorce, child abuse and neglect, and domestic violence. The commission will be focused on research, policy and communication initiatives that promote family stability.

The state of Ohio spends over $15 billion annually on public assistance services that provide for the needs of single parent households. Many of the current services focus on treating the disparities of multigenerational single parenting and poverty as mere symptoms; conversely, the commission will be tasked with analyzing and identifying comprehensive initiatives that will lead to family stability.

The commission will be in existence for four years and will be charged with compiling a report and presenting its findings along with a series of recommendations to the Ohio General Assembly.

Columbus—Next week, Assistant Senate Democratic Leader Charleta B. Tavares (D-Columbus) will introduce legislation aimed at protecting citizens who record law enforcement and civilian involved incidents. The Eyewitness Protection Act will give a person the right to lawfully record any incident involving law enforcement or the public and to maintain custody and control of that recording and the device used to record the incident.

Columbus—State Senator Charleta B. Tavares (D-Columbus) applauded the passage of Senate Bill 30, legislation she sponsored which establishes the Ohio Family Stability Commission. The proposal establishes a time-limited commission that will focus on the strengthening of Ohio families and emphasizing the well-being of children.

May is Mental Health Month sponsored by Mental Health America. This year’s theme is called “B4Stage4” which focuses on diagnosing and addressing mental illnesses before Stage 4 in which symptoms are more severe and difficult to treat.

Mental illnesses are sometimes crippling disorders that affect the lives of millions of Americans and oftentimes go unannounced because of the stigma associated with them.

Join me in spreading the word about “mental health” throughout the month of May so that your friends, family, and community can get the support and education that they need.

For more information about mental health awareness, visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness at nami.org.

Today, during Senate Session, Assistant Democratic Leader Charleta B. Tavares (D-Columbus) honored the life of former Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Paul Tipps who died on April 21st at the age of 78. During his tenure, the Ohio Democratic Party controlled all statewide offices in Ohio and the Ohio legislature.